Device for holding and filing letters



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. L. GOLTON.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND FILING LETTERS, BLANKS, AND- OTHBR PAPERS.

No. 339,859. Patented Apr. 13, 1886. D

iii-mini (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v A. L. GOLTON. DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND FILING LETTERS, BLANKS, AND

OTHER PAPERS.

&

TIE.

m/zzessass A451. WM

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' A. L. OOLTON. DEYIUE FOR HOLDING AND FILING LETTERS, BLANKS, AND

OTHER PAPERS.

Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

I messes UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR L. COLTON, OF MILIVAUKEE, \VISCONSIN.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND ElLlNG LETTERS, BLANKS, AND OTHER PAPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,859, dated April 13,1886

Application filed February 6, 1986. Serial No. 190,998. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. LTON, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Holding and Filing Blanks, Letters, and other Papers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to devices for holding and filing blanks, letters, drawings, &c.; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction, as will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my invention; Fig. 2, a detail perspective view of one of the sliding frames; Fig. 3, a similar View, partly broken away; Fig. at, a vertical 2o longitudinal section of the cabinet with the sliding frame drawn out; Fig. 5. a transverse section on line :0 m, Fig. 4, with the sliding board and frame closed in; Fig. 6, a detail view of one of the division plates or frames; and Fig. 7, a transverse section on line y 1 Fig. 4, looking toward the rear.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents a suitable cabinet divided into compartmcnts B, these latter being all of equal or odd sizes, as circumstances may require.

0 of the bottom a.

Each of the compartments B has a portion of its bottom a provided with a central groove, 1), that forms a guide for the depending lip c of a stop, 0, that is secured to the rear end of a sliding board, D, the latter operating in grooves 11, cut in the sides of the vertical parts E of the cabinet, and the forward movement of this sliding board is limited by the lip 0 coming in contact with the ungrooved portion The sliding board D is provided upon its upper face with a central rib, f, and groove g, the rib engaging a groove, h, upon the under face of a sliding frame, F, and acting as astop, against which comes the lower end of a vertical latch, i, that is guided in the groove g, said latch being connected to the rear vertical piece, k, of the sliding frame so as to be vertically operative. The rib f of the sliding board and groove h of the frame F are preferably dovetailed, and the relative arrangement of the parts permits said frame to be drawn out entirely clear of the cabinet, thereby facilitating access to its contents.

Iivotally connected to the vertical pieces is k are skeleton clamping-frames G G, said frames being crossed at their front and rear ends in such a manner as to open out in opposite directions.

Upon the inner side of the front vertical piece, k, of the sliding frame are guide-flanges m for a friction-block, a, centrally secured upon a pin, 0. To the pin 0 are connected the lower ends of links 1), the upper ends of these links being united to arms 1*, that project up from the clamping-frames G G.

To the inner side of the vertical piece It is secured a vertically-operative spring-plate, H, having ratchet-arms s s, that engage lugs t, projecting from the forward ends of the clamping frames, thereby permitting said frames to be firmly retained in any position to which they may be opened. The horizontal piece or bottom of the sliding frame is pro vided with transverse grooveso for rods I, that are secured to and come flush with the upper face of said bottom. The rods I are designed to engage eyes 2, depending from divisionframes K, that serve to keep separate differing blanks or papers that may be filed away in the sliding frame F. The division-frames maybe simply skeleton in form, or, if desirable, covered by paper or cloth, as shown in Fig. 6.

Retained between the division-plates I show a series of envelopes, L, that are intended to be alphabetically or numerically arranged for the reception of letters or other papers, and to facilitate access to any particular envelope the division-frames may be multiplied so that each two thereof will divide a certain number of said envelopes from the others in the set.

To further facilitate the selection of any particular envelope or envelopes the divisionframes may be suitably lettered or numbered to correspond.

Each sliding frame F is intended to be provided with a suitable pull, M.

In the operation of my invention the frame F is drawn out until the latch 'i abuts against the rib f on the sliding board D, when the latter comes into action, and is drawn out with said frame until the depending lip c of the stop 0 is brought into contact with the un- IOO grooved portion of the compartment-bottom a. By this operation the sliding frame and contents are brought out clear of the cabinet.

The spring-plate H is now drawn up and the clamping frames disengaged from the ratchet-arms s s of said plate. This operation allows the clamping-frames to open out any desirable distance to permit of access to the contents of the sliding frame.

By the peculiar arrangement and operation ofthe clampingframes G G,thehorizontal rods t t thereof that come upon the same relative side of the frame F are always in the same vertical plane, no matter to what degree they may be opened.

To disengage the sliding frame from the board D, it is only necessary to raise the vertical latch-plate i so as to bring the latter out of contact with the rib f on said board. WVhen the sliding frame F is pushed in, it comes against the upwardly-projecting lip c of the stop 0, thus carrying the board D in at the same time, the back of the cabinet acting as a stop to limit the rearward movement.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by in combination with links operatively connecting said clamping-frames, and a pin carryinga L friction-block operative in vertical guides, as set forth. I

3'. The frame for holding blanks, letters, &c., consisting of a horizontal bottom and verti cal end pie'ces,in combination with pivotallyadjustable clamp-frames and a series of division-frames operatively connected to said bottom piece, as set forth. 7 v

4. The frame consisting of a horizontal bottom piece and vertical end pieces, one of the latter provided with vertical guides, in combination with clamp-frames pivotally con-f nected to said end pieces and provided with upwardly-extended arms, a friction-block operative in the vertical guides, links .having their respective ends pivotally connected to i the friction-block and to the arms of the clamp frames, and a vertical spring plate having ratchet-arms adapted to engage lugs on said clamp-frames, as set forth. a

5. The combination, with the frame F, having the groove h and-end pieces, k k, and the paper-clamping devices, substantially as described, upon said frame, of the slidingbase ARTHUR L COLTONF Vitnesscs:

H. G. UNDERWOOD,

N. E. OLIPHANT.-

65 D, having the ribf and stop 0, the fixed base 

